Notes from the 434...

I got two really good notes from fellow students in my advanced screenwriting class today. One of the most important thing in the 434 is to be open to suggestions, even when your mind my want to dismiss them. We put up our scene-o-grams on the overhead for the second time and classmates were able to dissect the structure of my script. One student pointed out that she thought that the end of my first act ended wrong. I wanted to avoid being episodic by throwing a curve ball to the audience. She made a great point that the audience, for good or bad, expected something different. Another student pointed out that I could still accomplish my curveball, but in the second act. And voila! My script is much better. Sure, I have to rewrite a few scenes, but they were right. Their suggestions make sense and I'm going to change my script accordingly. This is the reason I go to UCLA.

Ten More Pages...

I have CLASS today. Class?? I'm so damn tired right now, I could sleep all day. I took a Friday red eye to Washington DC (after HORRIBLE customer service from United Airlines. United, if you're reading this, fire the three LAX counter reps you employed for the United Flight 308 to BWI. They are EMBARRASSING, and the reason why you're in bankruptcy. Thank you.). We landed at 8am, which gave me no time to do anything but shower and change. I was at Howard all day, which was fun, and then back on the plane that evening to get back home. Got home around 11pm. And this is the SECOND time I had this scenario this week. I'm worn out.

So it's class, and then coming home for a bit of rest. Hopefully, I can write ten more pages to get to 80s, so I'll be at or close to the end of my Act II. After that, MEN OF THEIR TIMES will be all downhill.

Finishing Act II...

Twenty more pages by Monday...On a red-eye flight to Washington DC...and back..

What I'm Listening to as I write...

Prefab Sprout Moving The River lyrics

You surely are a truly gifted kid
But you're only good as
The last great thing you did
And where've you been since then
Did the schedule get you down
I hear you've got a new girlfriend
How's the wife taking it ?
If it's uphill all the way you should be used to it by now
You must know me, Father it's your son
And I know that you are proud of everything I've done
But it's the wonders I perform,
Pulling rabbits out of hats
When sometimes I'd prefer
Simply to wear them
If it's uphill all the way you should be used to it and say
My back is broad enough sir to take the strain and it's
Hello mother, it's your son and aren't you proud, of all I've done
But I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free, and I can't breakdance on your knee
But it's stay right there son, baby do, while I is itchin' for something new
So watch me hawkeye and understand the force of will, the sleight of hand
Movin' the river, I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free and I can't breakdance on your knee
Movin' the river, bucket by spoon, and do you think that they'll like me when they learn what I o
Movin' the river, money for jam, and it takes such an effort to stay where I am...

So Far, So Good...

So Far, So Good

Finish Act II by next Monday, which means I'm about fifteen pages short. Need to get to about pages 60-65: Done
Contact Howard University to make sure they have books for my Saturday signing: Done
Go to Fred Rubin's Comedy Class on Tuesday: Done
Go to the Showcase meeting on Tuesday: Done
Fly to Baltimore to speak at the Baltimore City Community College on Wednesday morning: Done
Fly back to LA on Wednesday evening: Done
Finish writing the showrunning analysis by Thursday's class: Done
Set up meeting with my science mentor for Men Of Their Times: Done
Set up a reading by MFA actors so that I can hear how my script is sounding.
Contact porn talent scout to set up time so that I can spend the day.
Contact Lexington Steele again to start doing more research
Set up interviews with porn actresses
Contact agent to see what's up with non-fiction Money Shot contract.: Done
Contact agent to see what's up with deadlines for fiction Money Shot manuscript.: Done
Fly to Washington DC on Friday to sign on Saturday
Go to Fred Rubin's class on Sunday

Weight Loss To Date:
Starting Weight Loss: 226lb
Week Seven Weight: 213lb 211lb
Goal Weight: 205lb

Back to Work...

This week:

Finish Act II by next Monday
Contact Howard University to make sure they have books for my Saturday signing
Go to Fred Rubin's Comedy Class on Tuesday
Go to the Showcase meeting on Tuesday
Fly to Baltimore to speak at the Baltimore City Community College on Wednesday morning
Fly back to LA on Wednesday evening
Finish writing the showrunning analysis by Thursday's class
Set up meeting with my science mentor for Men Of Their Times
Set up a reading by MFA actors so that I can hear how my script is sounding.
Contact porn talent scout to set up time so that I can spend the day.
Contact Lexington Steele again to start doing more research
Set up interviews with porn actresses
Contact agent to see what's up with non-fiction Money Shot contract.
Contact agent to see what's up with deadlines for fiction Money Shot manuscript.
Fly to Washington DC on Friday to sign on Saturday
Go to Fred Rubin's class on Sunday

Weight Loss To Date:
Starting Weight Loss: 226lb
Week Seven Weight: 213lb
Goal Weight: 205lb

After I kill the last eight pounds, then I begin weight training and "body sculpting". Time to get some definition.

What a SURPRISE!

Last night, my beautiful and wonderful wife, surprised me with a birthday party for my 40th! It literally blew me away. All of my close frat, friends, and family were there as we celebrated at Tangerine in West Hollywood. I'm still recovering from the many glasses of champagne and Makers Mark & Water, so forgive me for the brevity. Below are pictures from the party...
My wife April and I...
My frat brothers Sean Carter, Robert Lyons, Me, and Ray Dennis
My mother and I cheesin'
My oldest friend Tony Jordan
My film school compadre M.K. Asante, one of my oldest friends and best friend of April, Karen Simi, and April.
My best friend and best man in my wedding, Rob Lyons and Me.


MORE PHOTOS LATER as they get sent to me.

Back from Purdue...

I have had the pleasure of meeting some great people on this current tour. Renee Thomas, director of the Black Cultural Center at Purdue (if you're ever in the area, stop in. It will blow your mind.) was simply sweet as can be. And the BGLO members I met were eager, and looked like they want to move their organizations forward. It was a great time.

Back at home. My 40th birthday is about to come up on February 20th, and I'm feeling pretty good. The ole diet is just rolling along (thanks Zankou Chicken!) and I've just about gotten rid of my lecture tour gut.

My agent called and said that Kensington wants to buy my fiction novel called Money Shot. That's cool. So they would be publishing the fiction version, while I would be writing the non-fiction version for Thunder's Mouth. Now I have to change the non-fiction title from Money Shot to something else. I'm up for suggestions.

Oh, and I finally got in touch with the porn talent agency guy. So we're a go for interviews, and day in the life, yada, yada.

My Act II is ROLLING. It is so rich that it's sort of like eating cheesecake. You eat it in small bites, rather than large ones. That's how I'm writing. One page, then stop. Another page, then stop. Just let it flow naturally and don't try to do too much.

The annual UCLA showcase is about to happen too. Last year, after I was admitted, I went to the showcase to hear screenplays by current students. It was really cool, even though I didn't know anyone. Your script gets read by industry folks who then pick about three or four for the showcase. Then, actors read your script. Cool. I'm going to enter MEN OF THEIR TIMES.

Right now, I'm going to kick back and catch up on the last episode of 24, watch the Arsenal vs. Liverpool match I missed, and then see who Dick Cheney shot today.

ACT II: The Groove...

I'm about to start Act II of MEN OF THEIR TIMES and baby, I'm in the GROOVE. The writing groove. Ya know how Michael Jordan said that when he was in the groove, the basket became large? Well, the pages become smaller for me. I'm rolling, and it feels good (especially since I'm in West Lafayette, IN where it is 29 degrees). Act II is due on February 27, and I think I'll hit that mark with ease. So watch that progress bar. It's about to rock and roll.

Back From MD...

I'm not normally affected by jetlag, but I think the time difference really helped me. My clock has been all f#$%ked up, but going to the East Coast seemed to get me back on track. It's midnight right now, and if I go to bed at 2am versus 4:30am, then it will be back to normal.

My gig at Salisbury was fun, and my Alpha brothers were GREAT! Sometimes I wish others knew how great it is to meet fraternity brothers who really are good peeps. The brothers on the Maryland Eastern Shore are those types of brothers.

I was able to do a LOT of work on MEN OF THEIR TIMES. Tightened up the dialogue, added a couple of scenes, and I'm close to the end of the first act. I'll probably cut out a scene to keep the first act around Page 35. But it's really beginning to get nice and tight.

This weekend, I have to get going on my showrunning class. Because of speaking gigs, I've missed the last two classes, and I have a project due with a partner. We're doing an analysis of the Sci-Fi Channel. Next week, I miss both Hal's 434 and Fred's comedy class while speaking at Purdue.

We've got a Chuckie Cheese party on Sunday for the Munchkin, so that should be fun.

Diet still rolling along. Still hard to eat well on the road. But I didn't mess up. The belly is about ten pounds from being gone, and although I initially said I'd go down to 190lb, that was straight laughs. I'll get down to 205lbs and be happy. So that means I need to lose another 11lbs, and then I'm set.

Time to Breathe...

I was pretty much burnt last week, and after talking to a lot of my fellow students, we're all kind of burnt. Some are planning spring break trips to Paris, others to Mexico. The Ross Fam? I don't know yet. I wouldn't mind going back to London, and if we can get a nice package, maybe we'll do it. But I don't think that would be exciting for Langston. We might go skiing, but the season may be over by then. So I don't know. But I think we need a break.

My annual Black History Month lecture tour began last week, and I fly out tomorrow morning for more. I speak at Salisbury in Maryland on the 9th, and then at Purdue on Valentine Day. A late add has me going back out to Baltimore on February 22nd. Lastly, I'm supposed to sign books at an event at Howard University on February 25th. So it's busy, busy, busy.

As for writing, I've going to put down the computer for a day and let my mind rest. But I'm getting more and more confident in my ability to recognize and utilize screenplay structure. That was important, because I didn't have it before I got into the program. With that structure starting to become second nature, I can feel my brain starting to demand better writing. Until now, I've been writing okay dialogue, but it's mainly there to fit the skeleton of my script. But the confidence in my structure means that I can now REALLY look at my characters and how I want them to interact. So this week will be spent thinking about Langston and Latimer.

I'm still waiting on my porn book contract from my lit agent. In the last message, he said that he's still negotiating with them. I was too tired to ask what the negotiations were about, and in reality, I really don't care. He's the agent and it's his job to look out for me. I let him do his job. Micromanaging stuff like that would get on his nerve and would eventually get on my nerves. The contract will come when it comes.

My frat brother is going to take snaps for the book, and that's cool because he's a great professional photographer. I have a particular look I want, and I know he can do it.

Diet is still going well. Just too lazy to post the latest data. But right now, I'm at 215-217lbs.

Tough Week...

This has been a tough week. The Houston Exxon lecture went GREAT and the people were absolutely fabulous. If you're ever in Houston and you hear that the Texas Southern University Jazz Ensemble is playing, GO! They played before I spoke and I could have listened to them all afternoon.

As for my work, Men Of Their Times is coming along, but I'm running smack into a scene where I need to talk about science. I don't have a science mentor yet, because of something that needs to be resolved, but that's finally holding me back from finishing my Act I. Today and tomorrow, I'm going to try to work around it.

For the comedy class, I'm still trying to finish my premise. I've changed it SO many times because it wasn't organic. But I think I have one ready. This week, we're to write a four page characters meeting scene, along with a minor character breakdown. I've started, but not finished it.

The brain was a bit tired this week, and I need a rest. It gets no better next week as I have to travel again, so that means I'll be tired. But it's gut check time.

Nothing Worse...

There's nothing worse than feeling sick, particularly with a sore throat. Add to that, having to speak with that sore throat. And then, add to that, travel, then you have my predicament. I woke up this morning feeling bad, and it hasn't gotten better. Right now, I'm in Houston and I'll be speaking about African American fraternal organizations in about six hours. What you do is simply gut it out. There's nothing else you can do. I remember being so sick at one event that I threw up before the lecture and then threw up after it. But I pride myself on being a professional, so my hosts didn't know a thing. Health is one of the wild cards when you lecture, and right now, I've pulled a joker.

Crunch Time...

It's 5am in the morning, and I'm doing a final check of my Houston Black History Month speech. I wrote it months ago, and I just want to make sure that it comes out nice. Normally, I speak about forty minutes, but they want a twenty minute speech on AA fraternalism and civic orgs, so I want to make sure that I get in as much information as possible.

The next few days are going to be mad hectic. Hal wants us to finish our first acts by Monday. So I have about ten pages to write for Men Of Their Times. In my comedy class, I have to write a character breakdown for a minor character, and then a four to five page scene where two character meet. For this class, I've revamped my premise twice, but I think I'm closer to getting it straight. And in my showrunning class, I'm working with a partner to write an analysis of a cable channel. On the porn front, I've got to get on the ball. I need to schedule more interviews beginning next week.

It is weird, but when I get a lot of writing work, my mind tends to focus sharply. I think it comes from when I owned a catering service and I have to be on my feet for 72 hours straight. At the end of the 72 hours, you collapse, but while you're working, you get things done and done right. Right now, I'm on the clock. Let's see how well I can do.